Our 2020 New Year’s Eve looked a little different than other years. We didn’t go out to eat or have a big party because of the pandemic. Despite the circumstances, we made the best of it. We spent our time doing a hamburger and fries taste test between five popular fast food joints in town–  McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box, and Burger King. A bit nerdy, yes. But so fun and very memorable.

What Did We Taste Test?

At each restaurant, we ordered the most specialty burger that they currently had to offer on the menu. (We completed this taste test on December 31, 2020, Thursday night at 5PM) We researched each restaurants’ menu ahead of time and decided which hamburger to choose for each place. We ordered a combo meal, getting whatever basic fries that came with the combo. We taste tested the fries as well. We also ordered Coke but didn’t test them between the different restaurants. (Is Coke really that different from restaurant to restaurant? I think not. Let me know in the comments below if you think differently.)

The Logistics

We tried to keep this taste test as professional as possible, attempting to make it fair and even. We split up the orders and people between two cars to order the food through the various drive-thru windows so it would be equally hot, as much as possible at least. We knew the results would be skewed if some items were hotter than others. We had an insulated bag in each car that we put the food in right after we received it, to keep it warm, wrapping the bag down too to seal in the heat. We met back at the house as quickly as possible to start eating and recording the results.

The Scoring

We created an official scoring sheet for every taste test participant. Each scoring sheet listed the five restaurants with a scoring board underneath for that restaurant’s hamburger and fries. The things that we considered when judging the hamburgers– juiciness, flavor, appearance, toppings, bun. The things that we considered when judging the fries– crispiness, structure, flavor. There were 4 adults (and one almost 5 year old, but his opinions are not calculated in the overall results) that completed this taste test. The results are an average of all 4 adults’ scoring sheets.

The Scoring Sheet

Hamburger

Juiciness   1    2    3    4    5

Flavor   1    2    3    4    5

Appearance   1    2    3    4    5

Toppings  1    2    3    4    5

Bun  1    2    3    4    5

Fries

Crispiness  1    2    3    4    5

Structure  1    2    3    4    5

Flavor  1    2    3    4    5

The Restaurants

McDonald’s

What Hamburger Did We Order?

Big Mac

Website Description: Mouthwatering perfection starts with two 100% pure beef patties and Big Mac sauce sandwiched between a sesame bun. It’s topped off with pickles, crisp shredded lettuce, finely chopped onion and American cheese. 550 cal.

The Results

Hamburger–

The Big Mac received 4th place out of the 5 hamburgers that were tested, coming in at 60 points out of 100. The worst thing about this hamburger was the quality of the beef. It looked like fake pressed meat that had been compacted. Visually, it was horrible. It tasted better than it looked but wasn’t juicy at all. The bun was also very underwhelming, plain white cheap buns that you would buy in the grocery store aisle in a pack of 6. The Big Mac’s strength was the overall flavor of the sandwich. The Big Mac sauce was delicious, and everything on the sandwich really came together flavor wise.

Fries–

The fries also received 4th place out of the 5 fries that were tested, coming in at 45 points out of 60. This was a shock to us. While I usually dislike McDonald’s, I do have to admit that they do make really good fries….most days at least. They are typically really flavorful and salty. The McDonald’s fries that we tested that night were quite bad for McDonald’s fries. They had absolutely zero flavor, and it was like somebody had forgotten to salt them. They were cold and tasted old. (McDonald’s fries are the thinest of the five types of fries that we tested.)

Wendy’s

What Hamburger Did We Order?

Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger

Website Description: A quarter pound of fresh, never-frozen beef, warm beer cheese sauce, Applewood smoked bacon, smoky honey mustard, crispy fried onions, pickles, and a slice of muenster cheese all on an extra soft pretzel bun. 840 cal.

The Results

Hamburger–  

I never knew I enjoyed fast food hamburgers until I tried this hamburger from Wendy’s. Wow! This hamburger got 1st place with 92 points out of 100. If I didn’t know, I would think it was an expensive hamburger from a nice dine-in type of sit down place. The bun is the highlight, a soft pretzel bun with the perfect chewiness, lightly buttered on top. The combination of flavors on this sandwich go perfectly together. The mustard with the pickles and the warm beer cheese sauce……amazing together. The nice crunch of the crispy fried onions as well as the real bacon, added a nice texture to the hamburger. Maybe it really does make a difference when the hamburger is fresh, never-frozen, as they advertise, because damn! That burger was good! (We’ve been back for this hamburger two other times since completing this taste test which is typically very unlike me.)

Fries–

The ironic thing about Wendy’s hamburger coming in 1st place was that their fries came in 5th place. They were horrible, and I wasn’t surprised. I’ve never been impressed with their fries. They were limp, had no solid structure, lacked in crispness, and had zero flavor. Seriously, skip the fries here.

Carl’s Jr.

What Hamburger Did We Order?

1/3 lb. Original Thickburger

Website Description: A 1/3 lb charbroiled Angus Beef patty, melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles, mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup, served on a premium bun. 820 cal.

The Results

Hamburger–

The Carl’s Junior hamburger was really good, coming in at 2nd place behind Wendy’s, with 83 out of 100 points. Carl’s Jr. consistently makes good hamburgers and this one was no exception. The meat was flavorful and juicy, and the toppings were numerous and fresh. The bun was a step above other places, thick, chewy, and delicious. I really had no complaints, except that the person who made it was a little heavy handed on the condiments. (This seems to be a consistent complaint at our local Carl’s Jr!) Other than that, spot on!

Fries–

The fries came in 3rd place with 46 out of 60 points. This was only one point less than the 2nd place fries winner, Burger King. Their fries reminded me of McDonald’s fries on a good day. They were a bit more on the thin side, not as thin as McDonald’s but close. These fries were crispy, salty, and full of flavor. They held their shape and were quite addictive.

Jack in the Box

What Hamburger Did We Order?

Buttery Jack Bacon and Swiss

Website Description: Sometimes, a burger comes along that makes other burgers whimper in fear. This is that burger. Because this ¼ lb. signature beef patty is topped with melted garlic herb cheese, and creamy bacon mayo, and it’s all on a gourmet signature bun. Don’t apologize, it’d be weirder if you weren’t drooling right now. 890 cal.

The Results

Hamburger–

This hamburger fell short, coming in last for 5th place, with 54 out of 100 points. The real downfall of this hamburger was the toppings. They were pretty skimpy to begin with and the toppings that were on it weren’t great, like the fake pre-cooked bacon. The beef also looked unappetizing and rubbery. If anything was good on this hamburger it was the brioche bun that was lightly buttered. Sorry Jack in the Box, but your gourmet specialty hamburger needs some work.

Fries–

While the hamburger was weak, the Jack in the Box fries came in 1st place with 50 out of 60 points. We ordered a combo meal, not specifying what type of fries we wanted, and they gave us their curly fries with our combo meal. And let me tell you, these curly fries were amazing. They were gone in seconds. With the perfect amount of seasoning and the fun curly shape, these fries were easily 1st place fries. Maybe it’s because we prefer these types of fries, or maybe they were really just that good, I don’t know. All I know is that they were amazing. (Supposedly they typically give you their regular fries with the combo meals, but for some reason that night they gave us the curly fries, so that is what was tested. Normally, the curly fries are .50 extra. I haven’t tried their regular fries.)

Burger King

What Hamburger Did We Order?

Single Steakhouse King

Website Description: A 100% flame-grilled beef patty topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, crispy onion, Western BBQ sauce, lettuce, creamy mayonnaise and tomato. Served in a corn dusted bun. 843 cal.

The Results

Hamburger–

This hamburger came in 3rd place with 70 out of 100. The flavor combination wasn’t my favorite, a bit too much BBQ sauce flavor for my liking, and it just wasn’t really that good. The bacon on it was the pre-cooked bacon, not very tasty. The bun was weak and boring. It wasn’t a horrible hamburger but it wasn't anything that I’d ever look forward to ordering again.

Fries–

The fries at Burger King were surprisingly really good. They came in 2nd place with 47 out of 60 points. They had a nice crunchy coating on the outside and a good amount of salt, making them really tasty. They were flavorful and delicious and were the thickest of the five fries that were tested. I might just go to Burger King for their fries one day when I’m craving something salty. We’ll see.

The Hamburger Ranking

#1 Wendy’s

#2 Carl’s Jr.

#3 Burger King

#4 McDonald’s

#5 Jack in the Box

The Fries Ranking

#1 Jack in the Box

#2 Burger King

#3 Car'l’s Jr.

#4 McDonald’s

#5 Wendy’s

My Final Thoughts

I find it extremely odd and quite funny that the #1 hamburger restaurant, Wendy’s, makes the worst fries out of all the places that we taste tested. Similarly, the restaurant with the best fries, Jack in the Box, makes the worst hamburger out of the group. So I guess for the perfect meal we need to swing by Wendy’s and grab their hamburger, and then take a ride to Jack in the Box and pick up some fries? Worth it? Maybe not. I think I’ll just stick with Wendy’s and order their hamburger and a Coke, hold the fries. Or another choice if you only want to make one stop, go to Carl’s Jr. Their hamburger was a close second to Wendy’s and their fries weren’t bad either.

What is your favorite fast food hamburger? What are your favorite fries? I’d love to know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and following along with my foodie adventures!

If you’re visiting Coeur d’Alene soon, check out this post of all things to-do in downtown Coeur d’Alene.